These Diseases Could Lead You To Lose Hair

Hair loss is neither pleasant to look at nor a good sign of the state of your health. Pattern baldness is more common in men and hair thinning and hair loss is common in women. This could either be temporary or permanent. Primarily, lack of nutrition is to blame for hair loss. But there could be more reasons responsible for hair loss; perhaps an underlying health condition or a disease. Yes, some chronic and short-term diseases can lead to temporary loss of hair.

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So let's take a closer look at some diseases which can lead to temporary loss of hair.

1. Diabetes

Diabetes is known to take a strong toll on health in a number of ways. It obstructs your circulatory system and restricts blood supply to the scalp. This causes the hair follicles to dry out and results in loss of hair. It also interferes with hair growth. Besides this, diabetes medicines are also known to have a negative impact on hair. This disease paves way for other health conditions which can result in hair loss.

2. Anemia

Anemia is an iron deficiency condition which can result in hair loss. Women are more prone to this condition than men. According to a study, 20% women above 20 years of age are prone to anemia. A blood test can determine if you are suffering from this condition or not. This, however, is a fixable problem, unlike diabetes. Eating iron-rich foods and taking iron supplements can be helpful.

3. Lupus

Lupus is another chronic disease which contributes to hair loss. The symptoms of this disease are similar to many other conditions which is why people usually get confuse it with other conditions. It affects the skin, joints, lungs, kidneys and hair. Your hair may become brittle and can fall in patches. Broken lupus hair may appear on your forehead. Hair loss due to lupus is not permanent.

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4. Thyroid diseases

Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, both contribute to hair loss. This gland is responsible for maintaining your energy levels and the production of new cells. Every part of your body needs this gland to function to properly; your hair follicles need it too. An underactive or an overactive thyroid gland can result in slow hair loss, resulting in hair thinning. Hyperthyroidism results in hair thinning all over the scalp and hypothyroidism results in extreme hair loss on the scalp and all over the body. Thyroid medication can also lead to temporary hair loss.

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5. Cancer

There are two types of treatments for cancer, that is, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Both these therapies lead to hair loss. Chemotherapy results in complete loss of hair. It targets the rapidly diving cells of the body, both malignant and healthy. This includes the hair follicles (the fastest growing cells in the body) as well. Within a few weeks of the therapy, the patient loses some or all of his/her hair. The severity of hair loss can depend on the drugs used for the treatment and the duration of the treatment. Radiotherapy, however, results in localized and permanent hair loss. This means that you will lose hair only in specific parts of the body, where the treatment is being targeted, but it will be permanent hair loss.

6. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOD)

PCOD is an increasingly common condition in women these days characterized by the development of cysts on the ovaries and increase in male hormone levels in the female body. This disease often results in PCOD. It can result in irregular periods, acne, facial hair growth, loss of hair on the scalp and excessive hair growth in other parts of the body. In some cases, PCOD results in infertility.

Also read: How do I prevent excessive hair loss?

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.